The Midnight Crusade
by Inkly
Summary: All alone with Mother's day drawing near, Scootaloo decides that its time that she learned the secrets of her lost family. But what happens when the screts hidden away are too devistating for you to handle? uploaded from my FIMfiction account  DJGrumpy
1. Chapter 1

_**The Midnight Crusade**_

_**Chapter One**_

The blue sky rippled with laughter as three little fillies wandered out of the dense green underbrush recounting the events earlier that day in the Ever Free forest.

"Well at least we all know that we're not Cutie Mark Crusader Tree Climbers!" chimed a pale olive pony with a red mane and a pink bow on the side.

"Yeah it's too bad that we had to crash into Zecora's hut and get covered in tree sap, again. Rarity is going to kill me if I get any of it on her cloths!" Sweetie Belle whimpered as they unstuck themselves from each other.

"Well Apple Bloom and I'll hide you if she snaps. It can't be as bad as the time you used that special gold cloth to make our capes." stated Scootaloo, as she carefully wheeled her scooter out of the bushes where it was hidden. The trio set of out of the Ever Free forest as if nothing had happened. The sun was hanging low in the sky as they rounded the bend leading into Pony Ville. Silence started to creep in on the girls before any pony said anything.

"Well y'all, ah best be gettin' back before Applejack starts to buck up a storm. See y'all in a couple days." Scootaloo turned to Apple Bloom giving her a quizzical look as if she had said the strangest thing.

"A couple days? I thought that we were going crusading tomorrow?" she stated flatly. Her train of thought ran wild as she scoured through her brain for any mention of Apple Bloom saying that she was going somewhere. The sound of a musical laugh pulled her back to the present, only to find Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle rolling on the ground laughing.

"You silly filly," sang Sweetie Belle, "its Mother's Day the day after tomorrow and the Apple family is going to Appaloosa to celebrate, silly. How could you forget that? OOOHHH, I hope you didn't forget to get your mom a present." Apple Bloom nodded slowly not noticing Scootaloo flinch at the mention of Mother's Day. _**'Of course, how could I forget the most dreaded day of the year?'**_ thought Scootaloo, tuning out of the rambling of the other.

Almost nopony knew that Scootaloo was an orphan and that was just the way she wanted to keep it. She didn't need any pony's pity; she'd be just like Rainbow Dash, always tough. She'd never be seen crying over a silly thing like this, she would put on a brave face and muscle her way through it like always. Her thoughts interrupted by a prodding from Apple Bloom, who wore a worried expression that would have made all but the most cold hearted of ponies heart break.

"Y'all ok there Scoot? Yer' lookin mighty down right now." She said as she shifted her glance between her and Sweetie Belle, who was only now clueing in on what was going on.

"We're awfully sorry if us laughin' at what y'all said offended you." Scootaloo put a smile on her face even though she knew it was only a mask for her true feelings.

"Hmm? Oh, no I'm fine I was just thinking of something nice I could do for my mom." Scootaloo lied as she fidgeted nervously. "Well, would you look at the time? I've got to go home before I'm late." She blurted out as she glanced down at a fake watch in an attempt to get away before more questions could be asked.

"Do you want us to walk with you? You're not looking so good." whispered Sweetie Belle.

"NO. I mean, no thanks but I think it would be faster if I went by myself." ramble Scootaloo, as she grabbed her scooter and took off without waiting for a response from either of them.

'_**Well, something is eatin' at her but Ah thinks it's best if Ah wait for her to come to me.'**_ thought Apple Bloom as she coughed and spat out dirt and grass that was kicked up from Scootaloo's sudden departure.

Scootaloo let the tears flow from her eyes the seconds she was out of sight of the girls. The pain of watching her friends talking about their families with such love and compassion was tearing her apart on the inside. She despised the idea of her friends having fun with their families as she was stuck in the orphanage with all the other children that had no family. _**'No, you don't hate them for having great families, you hate the fact that you're alone in this world and they'll never be able know how that feels.'**_ she thought as she raced through Pony Ville in order to make it back by curfew. Even the rush of the wind whipping past her as she flew down the street, seemingly right into the burnt orange glow of the setting sun, could do nothing to lift her out of her funk.

The dirt crunched under the wheels as she pulled to a stop outside the orphanage. The brick building had lost some of its gleam since its construction and was now a faded red. The sign hanging above the door looking new as ever since every year the children would repaint the sign with all the new kids that had arrived in an attempt to welcome them and introduce them to every pony else. Despite the less than stellar appearance, the orphanage itself was a very happy place. The staff cared a great deal for every pony that came through those doors. Every pony would be there only a year or so at most, due to the great job the staff did matching the other fillies and colts with loving families. Scootaloo was the only exception to their otherwise perfect record. She had been here for three years and had never come close to finding that 'perfect' family. Scootaloo wheeled her scooter through the building to her room, exchanging a few pleasantries to keep up appearances.

After closing the door quickly behind her, Scootaloo flopped down on her bed, thinking about the family she never knew. _**'Dad must have been the most awesome flier ever! Maybe even as good as Rainbow Dash or the WonderBolts. And Moms just gotta be the most beautiful, loving pony in Equestria!'**_ It was a nightly ritual for her. She would always picture herself with her parents, who MUST have been ponies of great importance. Only this time was different. Scootaloo didn't want to just pretend any more. She wanted the truth, not just some fantasy created in her head. She needed to know if they were still alive or if the worst had happened to them. She just wanted answers, was that too much to ask?

'_**That's it!'**_ she thought, realizing her epiphany. _**'There's only one pony in all of Pony Ville that seems to have the answer to just about everything.'**_ A content smile snuck its way onto her face as she slipped into sleep, planning on how to get Twilight to help without letting her know the real reason behind it. A peaceful darkness swept over her as she slipped into the dreamless oblivion of sleep.

_**End of Chapter One**_


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of blue jays and mockingbirds filtered into Scootaloo's room upon a gentle breeze. The pale grey light registered in her mind. 'Today's the day that I find out about my family.' Pulling herself out of the tangled nest of sheets and blankets, she slipped out of the room, scooter in hand. Bursting out of the orphanage at top speed, she barreled towards the town library in a flurry. _**'Come on wings, flap faster! The sooner I get to the library, the sooner I can find my family,' **_she thought swerving around oncoming ponies. Dust billowed out around her as she pushed her wings for all they were worth. _**'Not like that's very much since they can't even get me into the air yet.' **_Scootaloo pulled herself out of her rut as the library drew closer.

A nervous lump rose in her throat, threatening to suffocate her if she couldn't calm her fears. _**'But what am I so afraid of? This is what I always wanted and if Twilight can't help me then it's just like every other day of my life.' **_The lump slowly started to settle down with this thought but Scootaloo knew that it was only a mask to protect her from her true feeling. _**'You're scared of the thought of your parents not living up to every dream that you hoped they would. You're scared of rejection. Well, despite that, it's too late to turn back now' **_Scootaloo realized that she had been standing in front of the library door for a couple minutes struggling to keep her inner monologue in line. Sighing, she brought up her hoof to knock right as Spike opened the door.

"Okay, see you later Twi – oh hey Scoot! What are you doing here? It's rather early isn't it?" Spike questioned, barely holding in his surprise to see her here this early in the morning.

"Umm… Hey there. I was just stopping by to see if I could get Twilight's help with something. But if she's too busy I can just come back another time." Scootaloo ramble on. _**'Buck! What do I do now? I hadn't planned on having Spike here when I asked.' **_She thought as Twilight teleported right in front of them.

"Oh I'd love to help, Scootaloo." she stated clearly excited to share her knowledge with the younger pony. "What is it that you need help with? Math? Science? History?"

"Well… yah see I have to do a project… for class… and well, We have to trace back our family tree and I was wondering, do you have any of the town records in here to help?" Scootaloo mumbled to a visibly deflating Twilight.

"Sorry Scootaloo, but all those records are kept in the town hall and can't be accessed except for those with special permission. Why didn't you ask your parents this while you were at home? I'm sure they would be much more helpful with this topic then Me." said Twilight, managing to sound both awkward and depressed at the same time.

"They're both super busy… with work… They had to go to… Staliongrad… to help clear up a rouge weather system." sputtered out Scootaloo in a vain attempt to derail the conversation before it became more awkward. The initial spark of determination fading from her eyes.

"Well I'm sorry that I couldn't help you find out more about your family tree, but I'm pretty sure if you asked some of the older ponies around town the might be able to help." Spoke Twilight, noticing the depressing aura that had enveloped that normally cheerful little filly.

"Hey, That's a great idea! Thanks for your help Twilight!" yelled Scootaloo as she grabbed her scooter. Flapping her wings and taking off with new resolve, she barreled down the road.

Authors Notes: Sorry for such a short chapter here but I felt the need to say that I at least put something up this week end and make it look like I was some-what productive. Got a little caught up beta reading Wolfe15 story, (which by the way is fantastic so if you have the chance to, go read it. [And no I'm not saying this only because I helped but because it truly is a good story.])

If anybody has good ideas for whom she should talk to just comment below. I'm also accepting ideas for Scoots parents so again comment if you have any ideas on that and if I use it I'll give you credit for it when I use it.

Shout outs go to Wolfe15 and Captain Sub-Zero for getting me off my lazy ass to actually attempt to add more.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The clear skies of the morning quickly faded to a muted grey as the twilight ensued. The tell-tale signs of Scootaloo's presence in town showed in the tire tracks of her scooter that crossed throughout PonyVille. The filly in question lay prone behind a bush. The remnants of tears that had stained her face were being washed away in the gentle rain that had over taken the skies. The mask of confidence, vitality and youth had cracked long ago, revealing a glimpse of the pain in the filly's soul. 'How is it that nopony knows anything about my parents? It's not as if I randomly popped into existence. I'm not Pinkie Pie, so that wouldn't work,' thought Scootaloo as she pulled herself from the dirt, hoping nopony had seen her in her moment of weakness.

'What was it that Rainbow always said? "I haven't failed 100 times; I've simply just found 100 ways that don't work. The only way to fail something is to simply not try." What would she think of me now?' She continued her inner monologue as she wheeled her scooter past SugarCube Corner. The usually cheery façade of the building was dulled and warped by the rain and tears. 'Well that was a total bust,' Scootaloo thought, 'what am I going to do now?'

Her train of thought was interrupted by the sound of a heavy door squealing as it was pulled shut. Looking around for the source of the noise, Scootaloo noticed a side door to the town hall hit home. A spark ignited in her mind, 'Twilight said that all the records are there, maybe if I'm lucky, I'll be able to slip inside and try to find my file!' The thought sent tingles through her spine. 'I have to know what's in that file! I'm not going to live the rest of my life as a homeless nopony.' Scootaloo hid her scooter by the dumpster behind SugarCube Corner. Maneuvering around the edge of the building, she broke into a dead-on sprint for the door that she saw earlier. As she drew closer, the shadow of the town hall began to encompass her. Loaming before her like a changeling in the ethereal darkness stood the mouth into the unknown. 'Behind that door could be anything, let's hope that lucks with me today…' she thought before reaching for the door.

The door closed behind Scootaloo with a muffled 'click'. A quick survey of hallway revealed that she was alone. 'Not like that's any different from earlier.' whispered the cynical voice in her head. 'You've always been alone and will be alone for…'

"FOREVER!" yelled Pinkie Pie as she burst out of a nearby trash bin before slowly with drawling to its seeming bottomless interior. As her thrashing heart started to calm down, Scootaloo began to try and find the room containing the records. Echoes reverberated off the dull grey walls as her hooves struck the cold, checkered marble. The hall seemed to warp in on themselves as gently hoofed her way down the dimly lit hall. Passing by the rooms she read the various labels stamped onto them. 'Janitors Closet, Copy Room, Staff Room, where are all those bucking records? They can't have all just vanished…'

A door on her left caught her attention with its more intricate designs and above par caftponyship. The label spoke volume as she read the cold black letter on it.

"The Mayor's office. There's got to be something of use in there." Scootaloo whispered as she slipped into the room, failing to register the dull glow a lamp still on in the office. The room was rather large, bordered with book shelves and a grand oak desk adorning the center of the room. As she trotted into the room she heard the sound of a book being slid back into its spot on the self. Diving under the desk to avoid being seen, Scootaloo could feel her stomach brimming with a nervous excitement. Her wings quietly unfolding and folding in anticipation as the sound of muffled hoof steps on carpet drew near.

"Well, would you look at the time? I guess balancing the budget for this next quarter took longer than I thought it would. Now if only I could find those keys…" muttered the Mayor to herself as she walked towards the desk. Scootaloo's breath hitched in her throat as she saw a tan colored hoof descend right in front of her hiding spot.

Authors Notes: hey sorry guys for the absoloutely massive wait for this chapter and again sorry if it's rather short. I felt that you people deserved it though. As always, leave reviews if you have ideas for me or simply to say good job or you suck (if the later at least say why). Arighty then have a good day, or night in some cases. Ah, what ever, take it how you will. Later!


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